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Maricel Soriano (born Maria Cecilia Dador Soriano[1] on February 25, 1965), also known as The Diamond Star, is a critically acclaimed Filipinafilm and televisionactress. She has starred in many films covering different genres including comedy, fantasy (Inday series), horror, suspense, action, romance and drama. She has appeared in hundreds of films and has scored a number of blockbuster hits.

In addition to being an actress, Soriano is also a singer and has recorded several songs including the theme song of her movie Oh My Mama in 1981. In 1987, she performed a sold out concert at the Araneta Coliseum; the show titled "Hello, Hello Maricel".

Dubbed the 'Diamond Star' in the Philippine entertainment industry, she is the third most awarded Philippine film actress of all time and more successful than Sharon Cuneta with 46 movie and television awards (including Best Child Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Achiever Award as actress/producer, Best Performer and Best Actress) from various award-giving bodies such as FAMAS, PMPC, Empress, FAP, YCC, Pasado, GMMSFP, MMFF, Manila, Iloilo and Cinemanila Film Festivals. She was also known as 'Taray Queen' for her feisty roles in movies.[1]

Soriano started acting at the age of six in the 1971 film My Heart Belongs to Daddy with Tirso Cruz III and fellow child actress Snooky Serna.

Soriano developed her comic skills under the aegis of the late Philippine King of Comedy, Dolphy and the late Nida Blanca, one of the country's top caliber actors, both of whom she considered as second parents.[citation needed]

Soriano was launched into full stardom in 1980 via Regal Films' Underage, where her thespian talent and charisma shone brightest among the lead stars of the movie. Her tandem with William Martinez was launched via the movie Oh My Mama in 1981. She was considered the top 'Regal Baby' in the 1980s and 1990s prompting the Regal matriarch, Lily Monteverde to quip, "Regal without Maricel is nothing".

Unmatched in the history of Philippine Cinema, Soriano has the most number of comedy films, from John en Marsha in 1973 to I Will Survive in 2004. Her Inday series (Inday, Inday sa Balitaw, Inday Bote and Super Inday) is a landmark in the comedy arena. Some of her dramatic films are now considered classics, most notable of which are Saan Darating ang Umaga (1983), Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit (1984), Hinugot sa Langit (1985), Babaing Hampaslupa (1988), Ikaw Pa Lang ang Minahal (1992), Inagaw Mo Ang Lahat sa Akin (1995), Abot Kamay ang Pangarap (1996) (The Philippine entry to the Oscar Awards), Soltera (1999), Mila (2001), Filipinas (2003) and Inang Yaya (2006). Her action-oriented films with action superstars are all certified hits starting with the record-breaking Batang Quiapo (1986) until her last in 1998's Sige, Subukan Mo.

Soriano is also considered the 'Dancing Queen' of the 1980s, and her signature dance numbers, "I Am What I Am", "Body Dancer", "Rico Mambo", among others have continued to be associated with her even to this very day. While not a professional singer, she even managed to record two songs, the theme song of the movie, Oh My Mama and the gold record hit "Ngayon At Habang Panahon". Aside from a sold out concert at the Araneta Coliseum entitled "Hello, Hello Maricel" in 1987, she has appeared in hit concerts locally and abroad in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Aside from successfully conquering the movie scene, Soriano duplicated her feat on television with a variety of shows. From the sitcom John and Marsha, she also starred in Kaluskos Musmos and Kuskos Balungos, youth oriented programs in the 1970s. She has appeared in musical variety shows (Maria! Maria!, Maricel Live!), a drama anthology (Maricel Drama Special), comedy shows (2+2, Kaya ni Mister, Kaya ni Misis, Mary d' Potter, Bida si Mister, Bida si Misis), soap operas (Vietnam Rose) and John En Shirley (a spin-off of her original sitcom), where she is reunited with Dolphy and Susan Roces.

The Diamond Star can be considered foremost a progeny of television and her face has continued to become a staple in the small tube. Even with her short hiatus in making movies, Soriano was consistently seen in the longest-running drama anthology which was named after her, and the reprisal of the role of Shirley Purontong brought her into full circle as a certified icon in Philippine TV.

She has received two awards from the Asian TV Awards as Best Actress in a Comedy Show aside from her two awards for the same category from the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC). She was also given two awards as Best Actress in a Drama Anthology and Best Actress for Drama in a Soap Opera (Vietnam Rose) also coming from the PMPC.

A sought after celebrity endorser, she has endorsed a wide variety of products and is considered one of the most credible among the elite group of endorsers. She is reported to lend her name only with those products she believes in and uses it as well. Her appeal to consumers help catapult a number of products (and infomercial) to gain a sizable share of the market, most notably: Ever Gotesco, Modess, Green Cross Alcohol, Green Cross Soap, Whisper, Alaska, Globe, Swift Spaghetti, Swift Corned Beef, Loviscol, McDonalds, Jollibee, Mr. Clean, Breeze, Minola, Fiesta Cooking Oil, Aji Ginisa, Vaseline shampoo, Argentina Corned Beef, DOH's Newborn Screening, Quick Chow Noodles and Saucy Me.

With her movie output already reaching the millennium mark and a range of films unsurpassed by all other actresses, she is one of the few bestowed by filmdom with this title. The Diamond Star has practically worked in all the major film outfits in the industry, appeared with every major star, and set acting standards and box office records.

She is the third most awarded film actress of all time with 19 (child, supporting and lead actress) trophies to boost from various legitimate award giving bodies such as FAMAS, PMPC, Empress, FAP, YCC, Pasado, GMMSFP, MMFF, Manila, Iloilo and Cinemanila Film Festivals. Aside from these, Soriano has received other acting awards from various sources such as fan magazine publishing companies and people's choice awards.

In 2006, Soriano was back with Regal Films as the lead star of Bahay Kubo, a movie intended for the 2006 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Previously married to Edu Manzano from 1989 - 1991. She has two sons, Marron Soriano and Sebastien Soriano. She has three other siblings, Bec Soriano, mother of Meryll Soriano, Mykee Martinez and Mel Martinez[1]

Soriano has received a number of awards, most notable of which are the two Asian TV Awards as Best Comedy Actress, and three FAP awards, three FAMAS and five PMPC Star Awards for her drama performances. In 1974, she received her first award as Best Child Actress at the age of nine at the 9th Manila Film Festival for Virgo Film's Alaala mo, Daigdig ko ("Your Memory is My World"). She won her second acting award at the 1974 Ilo-ilo Film Festival for the movie version of the TV sitcom John En Marsha which later became the longest-running Philippine sitcom.[3] She received four consecutive nominations for FAMAS Awards in the years 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.[4] Her 1995 film, Inagaw Mo Ang Lahat sa Akin, produced by Reyna films was the official Philippine entry to the 1996 Oscar awards. In 1999, she was named as one of the Top 100 Stars of Philippine Cinema All-Time by Manila Times and in 2005 she was listed by the Director's Guild of the Philippines as one of the Top 15 Best Actresses of All Time.[citation needed] On January 5, 2008, she won the Best Actress award for Bahay Kubo at the Metro Manila Film Festival; this is her 3rd Best Actress prior to 1997's Nasaan ang Puso and 2003's Filipinas. Soriano also won in the 38th Box Office Queen and King Entertainment Awards as Film Actress of the Year for her performance in A Love Story.[5][6][7]